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A new study from UC San Francisco is the first to show that while the impact of life’s stressors accumulate overtime and accelerate cellular aging, these negative effects may be reduced by maintaining a healthy diet, exercising and sleeping well.

“The study participants who exercised, slept well and ate well had less telomere (the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes that affect how quickly cells age) shortening than the ones who didn’t maintain healthy lifestyles, even when they had similar levels of stress,” said lead author Eli Puterman, PhD, assistant professor in the department of psychiatry at UCSF. “It’s very important that we promote healthy living, especially under circumstances of typical experiences of life stressors like death, caregiving and job loss.”

Shorter telomeres have become associated with a broad range of aging-related diseases, including stroke, vascular dementia, cardiovascular disease, obesity, osteoporosis diabetes, and many forms of cancer.

“This is the first study that supports the idea, at least observationally, that stressful events can accelerate immune cell aging in adults, even in the short period of one year. Exciting, though, is that these results further suggest that keeping active, and eating and sleeping well during periods of high stress are particularly important to attenuate the accelerated aging of our immune cells,” said Puterman.

Occasionally, we fail to listen to our bodies as we exercise and we develop an injury. A fast, effective, non-toxic way to heal is through essential oils. Here are just a few oils and what they do in regards to sports and exercise related injuries.

The best way to keep your body and mind in top shape is to be physically active. Almost everyone, no matter what his or her physical condition, can engage in at least some form of bodily exercise. To be most efficient, your exercise regime should follow the guidelines for your age and overall health status.

There is such a thing as too much of a good thing. This includes exercising. Some of the benefits of exercising include:

Builds aerobic power

Reduces blood pressure.

Lowers Type 2 diabetes risk.

Maintains immune functioning.

Keeps bones strong.

Builds muscle mass.

Improves breathing.

Boosts your energy.

Reduces the risk of arthritis.

Improves sex life

Brings about better sleep

Improves mood.

Lowers anxiety.

Boosts memory

Lowers dementia risk.

There is a downside. You can exercise TOO much and this is not at all beneficial. Certain activities carry increased risks for heart attack, especially among habitually sedentary persons with known or hidden heart disease who engage in unaccustomed vigorous physical activity. Some other dangers that can occur with over-exercising include:

Increased heart issues

Increased gastrointestinal distress such as heartburn or diarrhea

May develop gastrointestinal bleeding

Musculoskeletal injury

Exacerbation of Arrhythmia

Sudden cardiac death

Myocardial infarction

Rhabdomyolysis

Bronchoconstriction

Exercise is vital for good health. Be smart and be safe while exercising. Follow these 11 guidelines for any exercise regime or event.

Be aware that training too hard or too often can cause overuse injuries like stress fractures, stiff or sore joints and muscles, and inflamed tendons and ligaments. Sports prompting repetitive wear and tear on certain parts of your body — such as swimming (shoulders), jogging (knees, ankles, and feet), tennis (elbows) — are often overuse culprits, too. A mix of different kinds of activities and sufficient rest is safer.

Listen to your body. Hold off on exercise when you’re sick or feeling very fatigued. Cut back if you cannot finish an exercise session, feel faint after exercise or fatigued during the day, or suffer persistent aches and pains in joints after exercising. These are indications that you are over-exercising and are in danger of developing an exercise injury or health condition.

If you stop exercising for a while, drop back to a lower level of exercise initially. If you’re doing strength training, for example, lift lighter weights or do fewer reps or sets.

For most people, simply drinking plenty of water is sufficient. But if you’re working out especially hard or doing a marathon or triathlon, choose drinks that replace fluids plus essential electrolytes.

Choose clothes and shoes designed for your type of exercise. Replace shoes every six months as cushioning wears out.

For strength training, good form is essential. Initially use no weight, or very light weights, when learning the exercises. Never sacrifice good form by hurrying to finish reps or sets, or struggling to lift heavier weights.

Exercising vigorously in hot, humid conditions can lead to serious overheating and dehydration. Slow your pace when the temperature rises above 70°F. On days when the thermometer is expected to reach 80°F, exercise during cooler morning or evening hours or at an air-conditioned gym. Watch for signs of overheating, such as headache, dizziness, nausea, faintness, cramps, or palpitations.

Dress properly for cold-weather workouts to avoid hypothermia. Depending on the temperature, wear layers you can peel off as you warm up. Don’t forget gloves.

Exercise with your gender, age, health issues, and physical capacity in mind. A child can run for hours and not tire. A 50 year old man cannot. A mature male body can jog 10 miles and not tear chest muscle. A mature female body cannot. Be aware and exercise accordingly.

Most of us know we need to be physically active to be healthy. It’s not new information, but it leaves us with many questions and many opinions. There’s plenty of information about physical activity, but sorting through it and figuring out what to do can be challenging, especially if you are what we call a “coach potato”, someone who’s physical exertion is very low.

Here are some important questions:

What exactly does being physically active mean?

Is this physical activity or ‘exercise’?

How much do we need versus what can we do to get by?

Do we need to do it all at once?

Is there an easy way to fit it into our day, because life is pretty hectic already?

So many questions…

Here’s what we can agree on—I’ll give it to you straight: The basic, scientifically grounded information on physical activity. Then, we’ll begin to figure out how to balance this with your day and your lifestyle. Whether you are trying to gain, lose, or maintain your weight, physical activity goes hand in hand with good nutrition and overall health.

The basics

Science tells us that when it comes down to our overall health, adults, regardless of age, need to do two key types of physical activities:

Cardio or Aerobic?1 At a minimum, do moderately intense cardio activity for at least 30 minutes per day, most days of the week.AND

Strength Training! At a minimum, 2 days per week.

I am going to introduce a couple of terms that you may be less familiar with in this context—moderately intense and vigorously intense. By understanding how much effort you need to exert, you can begin to choose what kind of activity fits your available time, life, and needs. Here are some tips and examples to help identify whether physical activity is moderately or vigorously intense.

Cardio—What’s Your Intensity?

Moderate: While performing the physical activity, if your heart is beating noticeably faster—it’s probably moderately intense: We need to do this level of activity for at least 30 minutes, most days of the week.

Examples include:

walking briskly (a 15-minute mile)

light yard work (raking/bagging leaves or using a lawn mower)

light snow shoveling

actively playing with children

biking at a casual pace.

Vigorous: If you are breathing hard and fast and your heart rate is increased substantially during physical activity, it’s probably vigorously intense.

Examples include:

jogging/running

swimming laps

rollerblading/inline skating at a brisk pace

cross-country skiing

most competitive sports (football, basketball, or soccer)

jumping rope.

You don’t have to do 30 minutes all at once…

To meet the goal of 30 minutes a day of moderately intense physical activity, you don’t have to do all 30 minutes at once. Scientific evidence shows you get the same health benefits from breaking 30 minutes up into three 10-minute or two 15-minute intervals throughout the day, if this better fits your lifestyle. Daily activities like climbing several flights of stairs or parking farther away from store entrances are a good start. But if you don’t do that activity for at least 10 minutes at a time, it doesn’t help you meet the recommendation for 30 minutes of moderately intense physical activity. In addition, for most people, greater health benefits can be obtained by engaging in physical activity of more vigorous intensity or of longer duration.

What’s in it for me?

Part of it comes down to: Feeling better! Looking better! Not so bad, right? In the big picture, it also comes down to good physical health. If that’s not enough, there’s also that sense of well-being you get from regular physical activity—a constructive way to deal with the demands of the day, relieve stress, and simply feel better about yourself. Many people say that exercising regularly helps them have more energy, sleep better, and they enjoy taking time to do something good for themselves.With most everything, extra work really does pay off! Physical activity is no exception, and the more active you are, the more you benefit. For example, you can further reduce your risk for many chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, colon and breast cancers, and osteoporosis, by doing more than the minimum 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most days of the week. Incorporating up to 60 minutes of cardio activity may also help you to prevent unhealthy weight gain or to manage your weight, if that is your goal.

Different intensities and types of exercise offer different benefits. Cardio or aerobic activities exercise your heart and increase your ability to be physically active for a longer period of time. This type of endurance makes it easier to carry out harder tasks for longer periods of time—whether it’s keeping up with your kids or grandchildren, or playing basketball with your co-workers. Strength training or resistance exercises also contribute to muscular endurance. Strength training is especially beneficial as we get older. As we age, we tend to lose bone and muscle mass, making it difficult to carry out everyday activities: getting in and out of a chair, carrying groceries or laundry, or just walking. Together, cardio and strength training work your whole body. Vigorous physical activity (for example, jogging or other aerobic exercises) provides greater health benefits for physical fitness than does moderate physical activity and burns more calories per unit of time. Aside from all the health benefits, what a bonus that it also seems to make us feel better about ourselves.

How do we fit this into our life?

A lot of people have shared their thoughts with me. Here’s some of their feedback on what works.

Buddy System: Some days it’s hard to talk yourself into an activity. Working with others who are going through the same thing can be motivating, especially when you promised that you would meet for a walk in the park, or a tennis match, or signed up to take a yoga class together.

The Great Outdoors: Opportunities for physical activity may be closer than you think. Take advantage of public parks and pools. There are millions of acres to explore—walk, hike, swim, kayak, canoe, and bike.

Enjoy What You Do: If aerobicizing in a room full of people isn’t your thing, why do it? There are hundreds of activities to choose from. Find something you like and chances are you will stick with it. The key is not to limit yourself. Don’t get discouraged. Pick a few activities to try out, rotate them, and slowly you will figure out what works best for you. Trying something new can be fun and give you more confidence to pursue other activities.

Best of all, no matter what your age, physical ability or limitations, or physical activity level, it’s never too late to start! Some form of physical activity is right for everyone.

Summing it up

Let’s summarize what we’ve learned about making physical activity part of a Healthier You:

Be physically active for at least 30 minutes per day, most days of the week.

All adults, regardless of age, need both cardio or aerobic, and strength training, for overall health.

Cardio or Aerobic Activities: At a minimum, do at least 30 minutes of cardio or aerobic moderately intense activities (which can be performed in 10-minute intervals), most days of the week.

Strength Training: Recommended at least 2 days per week. A goal, for example, might be 8 to 12 repetitions of 6 to 8 strength-training exercises.

Increasing the intensity or the amount of time that you are physically active can have greater health benefits and may be needed to control body weight. About 60 minutes a day may be needed to prevent weight gain.

At least 60 to 90 minutes of physical activity most days may be needed to prevent regaining weight for the formerly overweight or obese.